April 23, 2009

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team opens its final homestand of the season when NIU welcomes Central Michigan to Mary M. Bell Field for a doubleheader Friday afternoon.

First pitch of game one Friday is set for 1 p.m. CST. Fans can follow all the action live via Huskies All-Access with Bill Baker on the call and Gametracker at www.niuhuskies.com.

"It's been an interesting couple of weeks," NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard said. "It's about the girls finding a way to play to their potential and play consistently. If they play that way we should be just fine."

The Huskies (11-32, 6-8) come into the weekend's action looking to bounce back from a 6-4 loss at No. 10 Northwestern Wednesday afternoon. The bats came alive a bit as Northern Illinois scored its four runs on seven hits.

"This is the kind of game we wanted to play heading into the weekend," Chouinard said. "It's a good time to turn it around and figure out a way to win. This was a good start."

Freshman Carly Norton had a big day for NIU, going 3-for-3 from the plate with a home run, an RBI and a run scored. Her home run was the fourth on the season, second behind Ouellette who has five.

The homestand continues Saturday when the Huskies welcome Eastern Michigan to DeKalb for a two-game set. Game time for Saturday is slated for 2 p.m., while the series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday. Sunday's game is Senior Day. NIU will celebrate the careers of their five seniors before the contest with the Eagles. Fans can follow all the action live via Gametracker at www.niuhuskies.com.

-NIU-